A big if

It is a big if.

If you are currently eating healthy.

If you are eating lots of fruits and veggies.

If you are drinking enough water.

If you are getting enough rest and recovery time.

If you are currently working out at least once a day.

If you are not taking any medication.

If you are managing your stress effectively.

If you are not suffering from diabetes, heart disease or recovering from injury.

Then you probably don't need to take additional protein supplements. Even if you are active and in training. You will get in it your diet. Maybe not 100 grams worth, but enough. Anything in addition to that is simply creating expensive urine. Worse is that the body stores excess protein as, oh-oh, fat. Just what you needed, right, another layer to insulate you from the coming ice age.

I will editorialize however, briefly, on the placebo effect. One training season I took custom supplements that were created as a result of urinalysis. It was a few years ago and I was Ironman training, working hard twice a day. I felt very confident that my nutritional needs were covered as a result of this supplementation and it created an increased state of confidence. And a rather unnatural day-glow colored liquid excreted daily into the porcelain pot. I trained and raced successfully throughout the year and felt as if I had accomplished my objectives. The following session was more of the same. With the exception that I discontinued the sups and started yoga. Urine returned to a more organic hue, my flexibility increased, and I trained and raced successfully. I will leave you to determine your own 'moral of the story', but mine is this: Eat good, drink well, work hard, sleep deep, save your dough.

That being said. I still take protein supplements. Mostly due to my diet. I do not eat meat. And yes, that includes fowl and fish. Therefore, by choice, I face a daily challenge to get to the amount required for my specific needs. Right now, doing, at least, two hours a day of HIT training, my body is asking (politely) for around 100 grams per day. That is a lot of spinach. I am just now finishing another round of testing, this time with hemp protein, because it is cleaner than either whey, soy or rice, containing less non-essential proteins as fat calories. Sometimes this is reported on the labels, sometimes it is not. The hemp seems to accomplish the objective but I have been feeling bloated and 'backed-up' a bit, with a tendency to, ahem, fartalot. Now I am off, after a 60 day test, gauging the results, listening again to the story as told by my body.

In the meantime, I thought I'd try a little home cooking and whip up a protein smoothie of my own. Here are the ingredients:

Low-fat soy milk

No-fat cottage cheese

Low-fat ricotta cheese

handful of rhubarb

handful of strawberries

one banana

I figure this is good for 25 or so grams of clean protein. Not perfect, but a good recovery cocktail, and it tastes good.

After our 60 minute indoor ride this afternoon, I'll have another one. With some beans and rice for dinner on a bed of steamed spinach. If I manage to break the Hour Record I might even have an oatmeal cookie and a beer for desert.

But THAT is a big if.